Simulated bowling target



ug. 2, 1949. s. w. SMITH SIMULATED BOWLING TARGET 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 25, 1947 g 5 SAMOA-Z 14/. 'S/V/TH,

BY M A 95025;.

A770R/VEYS S. W. SMITH Aug. 2, 1949.

IN VEN TOR.

SAM/0H 14 e/v/m;

Patented Aug. 2, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SIMULATED BOWLING TARGET Samuel W. Smith, Arlington, Va.

Application November 25, 1947, Serial No. 788,011

2 Claims. (01. 273127) The present invention relates to amusement devices and more particularly to an indoor game simulating that of putting upon a, green in a game of golf whereby one may not only practice his putting shots, but may play a competitive game with others in which scores may be kept to designate the winning player.

An object of the present invention is to provide a game apparatus comprising a board having a plurality of resettable pins including a king pin and hingedly and permanently connected to the playing surface thereof to form an unitary structure in which all of the pins will be moved to a non-playing position upon striking the king pin and single pin or selective group of pins will be moved upon striking pins other than the king pin to non-playing positions for designating the points to be counted in playing the game.

Another equally important object of the invention is to provide a game apparatus of the character described in which all of the pins thereof may be readily reset by merely raising one end of the board to a position whereat the board will assume a position substantially perpendicular to the floor or other support whereby the pins will assume their playing positions by gravity and remain in that position upon again replacing the board in playing position upon the floor or other supporting surface.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an indoor game of the character set forth which will be simple in construction, efiicient in operation and comparatively inexpensive in the cost of manufacture thereby rendering the same commercially desirable.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter as the description continues.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the apparatus embodying the invention where the playing pins thereof are set for use in playing the game.

Fig, 2 is a front elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 4 in the direction of the arrow points.

Fig. 4 is another plan view similar to Fig. 1, but reduced scale and a selective group of playing pins being shown in their inoperative or knockdown positions.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the apparatus showing the inoperative or knock-down pins after being struck by the playing ball.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the apparatus when in its tilted position for resetting the playing pins after the latter has been knocked down to the positions shown in either Figs. 4 and 5, and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail perspective view of one of the playing pins.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like and corresponding parts are designated by similar reference characters throughout the several views the game apparatus comprises a board l preferably of a semi-circular configuration having extending about its curved edges a back-stop 2 herein shown as a low continuous wall having formed at its medial portion a handle 3 for the purpose to be later described. The playing bed or surface 4 of the board I is flat throughout with inclined surface or gutter 5 extending from the playing surface 4 to the stop 2 and an inclined surface 6 extending from the forward end of the playing surface 4 to the opened or ball receiving entrance leading thereto.

The playing pins 1 are each preferably made from a single sheet of wood or paper board, but can also be molded from plastic materials in the configuration as shown as preference or'requirements may dictate. The lower end of each pin I is hingedly connected. as at 8 to the playing surface 4 of the game board and are beveled or inclined as at 9 whereupon each pin will assume a slightly inclined position with respect to its perpendicular axis to the playing surface 4 of the board as is best shown in Fig. 3.

These pins 1 are arranged in rows and each alternating row of pins are in staggered positions relative to the pins of the adjacent rows, The

' first or front row consists solely of the king pin ID, the second row consists of two subordinate pins H, the third row three pins consisting of a center subordinate pin l2 and two end sentinel pins [3 and I4 and the last or rear row consisting of four subordinate pins 15 making a total of ten pins in all for playing the game.

The king pin in and the sentinel pins I3 and M are each provided with laterally extending arms I6. Should the playing ball strike the king pin l0 then all ten pins will be caused to fall from their vertical playing positions to their knock-down or non-playing positions as best shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings as the arms [6 of the king pin will strike the subordinate pins H of the second row and the upper end of the king pin Ill will strike the intermediate subordinate pin [2 of the third row. The subordinate pins ll of the second row will while falling each strike an arm of one of the sentinel pins [3 and I4 and when these latter sentinel pins fall their arms [6 will strike the subordinate pins of the last or rear row.

In playing the game it is the aim of the player to strike the king pin H] to knock down all of the pins in one stroke wherein to gain ten points in scoring. However, should the playing ball travel to either side of the pins it will roll within the trough or gutter 5 and as no pins are knockeddown no score will be counted. At times a playing ball may strike one of the sentinel pins [3 or M whereupon only three pins will fall, as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, to give with that stroke a count in scoring of three points or the playing ball may strike only one of the end pins I5 of the rear row and the scoring count therefore will be only one point. Should the playing ball strike either pin l I it will when falling strike the arm I 6 of a sentinel pin causing the latter to fall and also two rear pins [5 making a count in the scoring of four points. The scoring may be counted the same as that ofan ordinary game of bowling or the winning points for a game may be set at any number agreed upon by the players.

The device is preferably for use as an indoor putting green whereupon one may improve his game of golf by placing the device upon a carpeted floor of a room and using a golf stick of the putter type and a conventional golf ball. The golfer upon putting the golf ball will aim to cause the ball to enter the inclined entrance to the playing surface of the device and should the ball strike the pin I!) it is supported to equal the sinking of the golf ball within the cup of the putting green. However, should the golfer fail to strike the pin ill or any of the other pins he should continue putting until all of the pins have been knocked down and the number of strokes required to knock down all of the pins will count as the number required to win a single hole of a putting green.

The rear edge of the board is provided with a depending ledge I! for elevating the board whereby it will assume an inclined position towards the forward opened end of the apparatus when placed upon the floor or other suitable level support.

The pins 7 are shown in the shape of a conventional bowling pin, whereas they may be in the shape of children, animals, etc. with their arms or legs extended as a substitute for the laterally extending arms [6. v i I I claim:

1. A game apparatus comprising a portable playing board having a fiat continuous playing surface, a set of flat pins arranged in the order of ten pins upon said playing surface, means pivotally connecting the base of each pin to said playing surface and permitting a movement thereof from substantially an upright position rearwardly to said surface, means supporting said board on a downward slant from rear to front upon supporting surfaces, and a plurality of cross arms each carried by the upper portion of the king pin and end pins of the third row of pins and positioned for contacting a pair of pins in the row of pins therebehind upon rearward movement of the carrying pin and being contacted by a pin in the row thereahead upon its rearward movement.

2. A game apparatus comprising a portable semicircular playing board having a flat continuous playing surface, a wall connected to the curved edge of said board forming a backstop and support for holding said board on a downward slant from rear to the straight edge thereof on a supporting surface, a handgrip formed in the rear portion of said wall, a plurality of rows of flat pins, each pin being hingedly connected at its base to said playing surface and the pins of one row being arranged in staggered relation to the pins of the adjacent row, and cross arms carried by a selective number of pins whereupon the rearward movement of any pin will cause the downward movement of other pins therebehind.

SAMUEL W. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,619,580 Long Mar. 1, 1927 1,656,739 Kurtz Jan. 17, 1928 1,742,702 Goodloe Jan. 7, 1930 1,904,033 Schulze Apr. 18, 1933 2,141,958 Rubenti Dec. 27, 1938 2,256,175 Schmidt Sept. 16, 1941 2,322,324 Spitzner June 22, 1943 

